can significantly slow down the
managed IT processes, as previously
development process. We were able to
noted, to the ways we worked on
show the procurement organization
third-party intellectual property
that we would be using the best
licensing and how we certified
quality, highest performing parts
products for compliance with Federal
and that our vendor selections did
Aviation Administration regulations.
not affect the company's overall
strategies for reducing procurement
costs. Procurement understood our
methodology, tailored its process for
our purpose, and got us the parts
we needed faster than would have
been possible through traditional
processes.
In the end, thanks in large part to
that cross-organizational effort, we
were able to crunch a typical 18- to
24-month development cycle down to
six months. We hit our first milestone
in November 2013 and completed the
project in April 2014. So we didn't hit
the 90-day mark, or the 120 - but
we absolutely got it right as fast as we
could. It was an incredible effort by
everybody.
Based on that list, we formed a
cross-organizational leadership
team and began working together
on process improvements. Having
the COO's backing really helped
energize and drive the leaders to
take the necessary actions within
down the road with
much better products,
development.
at lower cost, and with
Figure Out What Motivates a customer satisfaction
Your Team
rating that goes through
As difficult as this challenge was
the roof.
their respective organizations to
improve cycle times for engineering
for my core team members, I was
confident they'd be successful.
That's because I believe in them
unquestionably - that's an
imperative. Let's face it, as leaders
The rapid-fast development didn't
we're not the ones doing the work.
go unnoticed by the higher-ups,
The people on the front line of any
either. My boss, who is the vice
development project are the ones who
president of engineering, shared our
get the job done. My fundamental
accomplishment with the COO. As he
belief, a philosophy of leadership, is
told me, he thought that what we did
that the better care you show your
was significant enough to warrant a
people, the better job they're going
look by corporate leadership - and
to do.
the COO agreed. If other parts of the
organization could see what things
were slowing down development,
and why that mattered for the overall
good, he reasoned, then the company
- and its customers - would benefit.
If I can take that
30% of engaged workers
and make it 40%, I'm
going to be better than
all my competitors. And
if I can take that 30%
and make it 60%? Well
then I'll be screamin'
I'm 100% confident that when you
have engaged, motivated employees,
they will find a way to get the job
done. And let me tell you, when you
have engaged, motivated employees
who are passionate about what
As an organization, we called the
they're doing, your job as a leader gets
initiative "What Slows Us Down." We
easier.
ended up with several items, ranging
from how we procured products and
CTO Straight Talk | 25

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